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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Mikey Zee, post: 2872256, member: 72818&quot;]The title should make it obvious that I was particularly drawn to this coin because of the reverse, although my maximum was substantially below estimate. The roughness was just within my tolerance level, yet the centering, legible legends and relatively sharp details greatly appealed to me---at the right price<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie2" alt=";)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.</p><p><br /></p><p>Of all the depictions of ancient deities to survive to the present day, this image has to be the most puzzling and bizarre. It seems hundreds of statues/figurines and countless coins managed to make it to the 21st century, yet there appears to be absolutely no consensus regarding just what those &#039;thingies&#039; are all over her chest. Opinions offered and rejected are: breasts, bull testicles, bees eggs and gourds......<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie5" alt=":confused:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>And, I also ran across the following qualifications:</p><p><br /></p><p>&quot;One of Artemis&#039; characteristics is that she protects fertility. This may be symbolized by the spherical objects that cover the lower part of her chest, but the common assumption that they are female breasts is incorrect. They probably represent the testicles of a bull, although they may also be gourds, which were known in Asia as fertility symbols for centuries. Artemis&#039; robe is always decorated with lions, leopards, goats, griffins, and bulls, which represent Artemis&#039; title of Lady of the Animals.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>&quot;The Ephesian Artemis (also called Diana) should not be confused with the Greek Artemis (or Diana.) The Greek Artemis/Diana was a hunter.[3] The Ephesian Artemis/Diana, however, was unlike Greek gods or goddesses. She probably originated as a tree spirit and may have shared some attributes with other gods and goddesses of Anatolia. After the Ionians settled in Ephesus in around 1100 BC, they named the indigenous goddess after their Greek goddess Artemis.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>Below, I posted my coin (struck in Lydia) and two examples of the statue, vividly displaying those peculiar &#039;bumps&#039;<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie7" alt=":p" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Please feel free to pile on with whatever you feel is relevant<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Lydia, Acrasus. Septimius Severus. A.D. 193-211. Æ (25 mm, 7.74 g, 6 h). AVT KAI CЄOVHPOC, laureate head of Septimius Severus right / AKP-AC-IΩ-TΩN, cult statue of Artemis Ephesia facing, with two arm supports. SNG Munich 21; BMC 20. Nicely contrasting dark and light green patina, minor surface roughness. Extremely fine.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://d2w5cfiodjdjxn.cloudfront.net/326/109155.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]686722[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]686723[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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